The invention relates to a waste container, particularly a biohazard bin for collecting medical waste with a lower container part and a container top part which includes a discard opening and a lid and locking means for preventing access to the discard opening.
Such a biohazard bin is used for example for the disposal of one-way syringes, cotton swabs, scalpels and other medical waste. They include a lower container part and a container top part which is securely mounted onto the lower container part before the container is placed in use and which includes a waste discard opening with a closure lid.
DE 295 14 796 U1 discloses such a container with a circular opening in the top provided with an upstanding collar. A pot-like lid is connected to the collar by a retaining strip such that the opening can be closed when not in use, by pushing the pot-like lid into the collar to a first temporary closing position from which it is easily released for opening the container. If moved deeper into the collar to a second position, which is optically not well distinguishable from the first position the lid enters a locking position from which it cannot be removed, at least not without a special tool.
For a temporary and also for the final closing of the discard opening a lid may be provided on the top side of the container cover which, when closed, covers the discard opening but which is pivotable to an open position as shown for example in DE 198 47 619 C1. The lid may also be closed to two different engagement positions which are optically difficult to distinguish. In a first closed position, the lid extends over the upstanding collar of the discard opening from which position the lid can again be opened, but the lid can be pressed further onto the collar whereby it is locked to the collar such that it can no longer be removed.
It has been found that there is a need for a waste container which—with the repeatedly interrupted waste collection—has an easily operable temporary closure mechanism for a discard opening lid and a secure locking mechanism for the final closure of the discard opening. In addition, it should be possible to readily determine simply by viewing the container whether it is finally locked so that it should be passed on for disposition.